2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE ATTEMPTING A TURN AT SPEEDS OF 10 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AS THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROADWAY AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 33,000.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I OWN A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HEV, VIN: [XXX] , WITH ABOUT 50,000 MILES. FROM TIME-TO-TIME THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL ACTIVATE, BY ITSELF, IN THE ACCELERATE MODE. AND THIS OCCURS WHEN MY HANDS ARE NO WHERE NEAR THE ACTIVATION CONTROLS. THUS FAR IT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I HAVE HAD TIME TO SHUT THE CRUISE CONTROL DOWN; BUT IT DOES GET MY ATTENTION. THIS HAD HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS IN THE LAST 9 MONTHS. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID AND HAVE HAD AT LEAST FOUR EXPERIENCES OF MALFUNCTIONING SPEED SENSORS. THEY HAVE GIVEN ME CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE AND CAUSED ME INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSES FOR REPAIR. THE TYPICAL INCIDENT INVOLVES A MALFUNCTIONING OF THE ABS AND 4X4 SYSTEMS, WITH WARNING LAMPS LIGHTING UP INDICATING THAT THERE IS A DANGER OF SKIDDING AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. IN THREE INSTANCES I HAD THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED BY FORD DEALERS, WHO REPORTED: "FOUND REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR TO BE FAULTY" (JAN. 08); "REPLACED THE FAILED RIGHT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR" (SEPT. 08); "INSPECTED THE SENSOR AT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND FOUND THE TONE RING ON THE AXLE CRACKED. NEEDS NEW AXLE" (AUG. 09). TWO OF THESE WERE DONE ON WARRANTY; THE THIRD COST $344.95. ALL DEALERS HAVE GIVEN ASSURANCES THAT EVEN WITH WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING PROBLEMS AS DESCRIBED IT WAS "SAFE" TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE CAR UNTIL REPAIRS CAN BE MADE. ON MARCH 7 AND 8, 2010, WHILE ON A TRIP AWAY FROM HOME, THE SAME SYMPTOMS OCCURRED AGAIN. GIVEN EARLIER ASSURANCES BY DEALERS, I CONTINUED ON MY TRIP IGNORING AS BEST AS POSSIBLE THE WARNING LIGHTS, POPPING SOUNDS OF THE 4X4, AND OCCASIONAL SHUDDERING OF THE ABS SYSTEM. SURPRISINGLY, AFTER SOME HIGHWAY DRIVING (PERHAPS 50 MILES) THE WARNING SIGNALS STOPPED LIGHTING UP AND THE CAR SEEMED TO HANDLE FAIRLY NORMALLY. NOW, A FEW DAYS LATER, THE CAR CONTINUES TO OPERATE WITHOUT SIGNS OF MALFUNCTION, BUT IT REMAINS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE PROBLEM "FIXED ITSELF" OR THE COMPUTER-CONTROLLED READ-OUTS HAVE CEASED FUNCTIONING, THEREBY DISGUISING THE POSSIBLE PERSISTENCE OF THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT OF THESE PROBLEMS, BUT IT IS EXTREMELY DISCONCERTING TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT MAY BE AN INHERENTLY FAULTY DESIGN THAT MAY COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE DESPITE ASSURANCES TO THE CONTRARY GIVEN BY DEALERS. *TR

ELECTRIC CONTROLLED BRAKES, & ELECTRIC CONTROLLED POWER ASSIST STEERING. SEEING ALL THAT IS HAPPENING TO TOYOTA I THOUGHT I HAD BEST REPORT MY INCIDENTS TO SOMEONE SO THAT A FILE COULD BE STARTED AND HISTORY COULD BE MADE OF DEFECTIVE ISSUES WITH FORD ESCAPE HYBRID MINE IS A 2006 MODEL AND EVERYTHING STARTED JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I NOW HAVE 73,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND IT IS ALWAYS THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT SEEMS TO FAIL ACCORDING TO FORD SERVICE WRITERS. I IOD SOME INVESTIGATION WHEN MY BRAKES FAILED AND IT WAS JUST A WHEEL SENSOR THAT MALFUNCTIONED BUT IT CAUSED A MAJOR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CONTROL MODULE AFTER I CHECKED THE COST I TOLD FORD TO TAKE THE FUEL-SAVING VEHICLE AND PUT IT IN A JUNKYARD AND THEN I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER SERVICE TECH THAT THE SENSOR JUST NEEDED TO BE RESET AN THAT WOULD BE JUST A LITTLE OVER $300 SO I HAD IT SERVICED AND NOW AFTER A FLAT TIRE I AM TOLD THAT MY POWER ASSIST CONTROL UNIT NEEDS REPLACING THE OWNERS MANUAL SAID THAT AFTER YOU USE A DONUT TIRE THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AND AGAIN I AM TOLD IT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART TO REPLACE. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT FORD HAS THE ONLY MACHINES THAT COULD RESET THESE SENSORS, SO PARDON MY LAYMANS TERMS BUT FORD HAS YOU BY THE '!@#$%'.SINCE THEY CONTROL THE SITUATION. I DO HOWEVER BELIEVE THAT OUTSIDE ELECTRICAL FIELDS HAVE AN EFFECT ON THESE ELECTRICAL SENSORS. IT COULD BE AS LITTLE AS A PAVEMENT SENSOR THAT CONTROLS SIGNAL LIGHTS TO ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL FIELD THAT DAMAGES THESE SENSORS THAT ARE NOT SHIELDED. THANK YOU FOR READING MY THOUGHTS. *TR

MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID CAUGHT FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT 8 HOURS AFTER THE CAR WAS LAST USED. *TR

WE OWN A 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID 4WD. IT HAS APPROX. 56,000 MILES ON IT. THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED ON IT IN DEC. THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN OUR AREA CAME BACK WITH AN ESTIMATE OF $6000 FOR REPAIR SECONDARY TO A FAILURE IN THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT COMPUTER WHICH CONTROLS THE ABS SYSTEM. THE PART ITSELF IS $4300. WE CONTACTED FORD WHOSE RESPONSE WAS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE DEALER THEN CONTACTED FORD DIRECTLY AND FORD AGREED TO TAKE $1000 OFF THE PART COST WHICH BROUGHT OUR REPAIR DOWN TO $5000. OUR NON-FORD MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE A USED PART FOR $350, INSTALL IT THEN TAKE IT TO FORD TO REFLASH THE COMPUTER COMPONENTS. FORD CAME BACK TO US AFTER ABOUT A WEEK AND SAID THEY COULD NOT REFLASH THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THOSE COMPONENTS COULD ONLY BE PROGRAMMED ONCE ON THE INITIAL BUILD. WE WOULD BE FORCED TO PURCHASE A NEW PART FROM FORD WHO THEN ARE ALSO THE ONLY ONES WHO POSSESS THE SOFTWARE TO GET THE VEHICLES WORKING AGAIN. I LOOKED ONLINE AND WOULD BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE PART FOR $2300 BUT COULD ONLY HAVE A FORD DEALER DO THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK TO GET THE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO WORK. NOT SURE IF ANY FORD DEALERSHIP WOULD ALLOW US TO BRING IN OUR OWN PART WE PURCHASED OFF THE INTERNET IF WE WERE TO PURCHASE THE CHEAPER PART. IN ADDITION, IT TURNS OUT FORD IS REQUIRING PARTS DEALERS TO RETURN THE USED PART TO FORD AFTER PURCHASING THE NEW PART. FORD THEN REMANUFACTURES THE PART (WHICH THEY GOT FOR FREE FROM THE CONSUMER) AND RESELLS IT AS A NEW PART FOR $4300 TO SOME OTHER UNSUSPECTING HYBRID OWNER. SINCE OUR CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE WITHOUT THE REPAIR, IT FEELS LIKE FORD IS GROSSLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN SITUATIONS SUCH AS THESE TO UNFAIRLY GOUGE THEIR CUSTOMERS. PART # 7M6Z2C286B. *TR

BRAKE SYSTEM ON 2006 FORD HYBRID ESCAPE. REPLACED BRAKES AT REPUTABLE SHOP NEAR HOME 11/17/09 AS ABS LIGHT WAS ON AND 55,000 MILES ON CAR. SHOP INFORMED ME ABS LIGHT STILL ON SO THEY PUT CAR ON COMPUTER AND FOUND IT TO BE THE SENSOR ON THE BRAKE AXLE. THEY UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT HELP ME AS FORD DOES NOT ALLOW ACCESS TO NECESSARY COMPONENTS TO FIX SYSTEM UNTIL CAR IS 5 YRS.OLD AND WAS TOLD THEY TRIED TO PUT A NEW STATIC RING ON AND IT MIGHT WORK. IF LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN TAKE TO DEALER. 2 WKS LATER ABS LIGHT ON AS WELL AS RED BRAKE LIGHT SO TOOK CAR TO WILLOWBROOK FORD DEALER. THEY INFORMED ME THE PART TO REPLACE IS $4300 WITHOUT LABOR. THIS SEEMS CRIMINAL FOR A PART TO COST THAT MUCH AS THE CAR IS ONLY A 2006. I HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED PAYING FOR THE CAR. THEY TOLD ME I SHOULD OF GOTTEN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND I TOLD THEM THEY SHOULD MAKE A BETTER PRODUCT. I EXPECT A NEW CAR TO LAST LONGER THAN 3 YRS. AS IT STANDS TODAY THEY ARE TRYING TO DISCONNECT THE ABS SYSTEM BUT I AM NOT SURE OF THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. IF THEY CANNOT DO THAT I WILL BE FORCED TO PAY THE PRICE FOR THIS OUTRAGEOUS PART. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID? *TR

31 DEGREES DRIVING 5 MPH.. I HAD A 45 MIN COMMUTE TO WORK HAD THE DEFROST ON WHEN I LEFT HOME.. GOT TO WORK AND MY REAR WINDOW EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING IN THE PARKING LOT. NO OTHER MOVING VEHICLES AROUND AND SMOOTH WELL MAINTAINED PARKING LOT. THE GLASS WENT IN BILLIONS OF PIECES OUTSIDE ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 10 FEET BACK AND INSIDE ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT SEATS OF THE CAR. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. MANUFACTURER DIAGNOSED AS "POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE" AND REPLACED PART. LESS THAN TWO MONTHS LATER, POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN. VEHICLE AGAIN WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIR AND DIAGNOSED AS "POWER STEERING PUMP WIRING HARNESS MELTED" POWER STEERING WIRING HARNESS PART IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE AND PART IS BEING MANUFACTURED 3 WEEKS AFTER INCIDENT. *TR

I EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING @ 70 MPH. THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND FROM THE ENGINE, THEN A "STOP THE VEHICLE SAFELY NOW" WARNING, AND THE ENGINE STOPPED FUNCTIONING. *TR